Program clock



pt. 10, 1940- c. J. MAXWELL ET AL 2,214,534

PROGRAM CLOCK Filed May 31,, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1:52.712": 000 f0 0 y 0 To i: 0 0000 000 000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 000000000 'm F I W Hum? Sept. 10; 1940.

c. J. MAXWELL ET AL PROGRAM CLOCK Filed Kay 31, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet.

Patented Sept. 10, 1940 PATENT Fi EQE PROGRAM CLOCK Charles J. Maxwell, Dallas, and Harford '1. Jackson, Corsicana, Tex.

Application May 31, 1938, Serial No. 210,980

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a program clock.

' An object of the invention is the provision of a device for regulating the frequency of signals in a program clock and for regulating the length of the signals in a simple and efficient manner.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device for producing periodic signals in which a rotatable means controls the frequency of the signals while releasing a signal actuating mechanism which controls the duration of the signal in connection with means which will vary the time during which the signal remains audible.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a program clock in which a means for regulating the frequency of signals controls the release of operating mechanism for the signal whereby an arm is rotated and moves over a pair of contacts being adjustable towards and away from each other for varying the time during 20 which the signal is operated.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is 26 to be understood that the invention is not con fined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

30 In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of a program clock with parts removed showing portions of the internal mechanism.

Figure 2 is an end View of the program clock 85 with the cover removed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the device for regulating the frequency of the signals.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken 40 along the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it designates a base member on which are mounted spaced plates or standards l l and I2. These standards are provided with an angular portion 45 13 which is secured to the base it] by any suitable means and these standards provide bearings for the various shafts employed in the construction.

A cylinder I5 is mounted on a shaft IE which is carried in a bearing by the members H and i2 50 and the shaft is driven by the minute shaft 55a.

It is connected to the shaft it by a universal connection Nib. The shaft iBa is driven by a clock mechanism Ito. This clock mechanism may be of any of the well known mechanical or electri- 55 cally operated types.

This cylinder is provided with a continuous spiral groove H and between the sections of the spiral groove are located a plurality of perforations i8 which are spaced in such an angular relation that these perforations have their centers 5 exactly six degrees apart so that the distance of the travel of a point on the circumference of the cylinder between two perforations will equal one minute.

A plurality of pins l S are adapted to be inserted 10 in these perforations along the spiral path of the perforations around the cylinder and when it is known what time it is desired to produce signals these pins may be properly positioned in the perforations to produce the required signals at predetermined periods. In other words, if the signals are required every thirty minutes, then the pins will be placed at diametrically oppositely spaced points. In other words, it must be borne in mind that if the pins were placed in each of the perforations signals would be produced every minute. In order to increase these periods the pins will be eliminated between a pair of pins to give the required period.

A carriage, generally designated by the numeral 26 consists of a plate 2i which has a pair of depending ears 22 which are provided with passages between the lower ends to receive a shaft 23. The ears slide along this shaft in a manner which will be presently described. A pair of wheels 24 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 25-3 and are spaced a predetermined distance from each other by a sleeve 25 which is received by the shaft 23 and located between the wheels. The peripheries of these wheels are l -shaped in cross section as shown at 28 to ride in the complementary shaped grooves If in the cylinder 55. The opposite ends of the shaft 23 are shown more particularly in Figure 3 as received by arcuately shaped slots 27 formed in the standards H and i2 so that the shaft 23 may raise or lower for a purpose which will be presently explained.

A strip of metal bent to the shape shown in Figure 3 has a horizontal portion 353 and a V- H shaped extension 3! which has a bight portion 32 connected to the under face of the plate 2!. The free end of the V -shaped member forms a finger 33 which normally rides on the curved surface 34 of the cylinder i5 and this curved surface is located between the sections of the spiral groove ll. This finger is slightly sheared off at its free end where it engages the curved surface of said cylinder. A fixed rod 35 is supported by the standards H and I2 and is in a position to support the free end of the member 30 in a predetermined position.

A shaft 36 is mounted in bearings in the standards II and I2 and collars 31 are secured to the shaft and engage the side walls of said standards for maintaining the shaft in position. A U- shaped member generally designated by the numeral 40 has its parallel arms ll provided with collars 42 which are secured to the shaft 36. The bight portion 53 of said U-shaped member extends across the top of the cylinder I5 and is received by a return bent portion 46 formed on,

one end of the plate 2| so that when this end of the plate is elevated the bight portion 43 is likewise elevated for rocking the shaft 36.

It will be noted that the shaft or rod 23 also has a collar 23a secured to its opposite ends and abutting the adjacent faces of the standards ll and I2 for maintaining the shaft against slippage from the arcuate slots 21.

A device for controlling the length of the signals and a device for releasing the actuating mechanism for the signal timing device is shown more particularly in Figures 1 and 2. This mechanism consists principally of a spring driven motor 5! which is wound by a key 5! and which operates a gear 52. The motor, in turn, drives a shaft 53 to which the gear 52 is connected. All of these parts are carried by a frame generally designated by the numeral 55 and having horizontal posts 55 for maintaining the elements of the frame in a predetermined position. This frame is secured in any approved manner to the outer face of the standard H.

The gear 52 drives a gear 56 which revolves a shaft 5'8 and a gear 58 rigid with the shaft 51.

A disc or ratchet wheel 59 rotating anti-clockwise is secured to the shaft 51 and a circuit closing member 65 is formed as an arm which is rigidly connected with the shaft 57 located outwardly of the disc 59.

A pair of contact members 61 and 62 are located in spaced parallel relation. The member BI is connected by a Wire 63 to one binding post 64 of a bell or other signal 65. A wire 66 connects the other binding post 61 with a battery generally designated by the numeral 68. A wire 69 also connects this battery with the other contact member 62.

An insulating block it rigidly supports the contact 6! while the contact 62 is adjustably mounted on the block and movable with respect to the fixed contact El. The member 62 is guided along the block 10 by means of a screw ll rotated by a handle 12 and this screw is threaded into a nut 73 carried by the block 10. Thus, it will be seen that when the handle H1 is rotated in one direction or the other the contact member 62 is moved towards or away from the adjacent end of the fixed contact M for decreasing or increasing the time when the signal 65 is placed in circuit with the battery 68. The screw H has a universal connection at Ha with the contact member 62 which is held in position by a guide 62a.

A control lever generally designated by the numeral i5 is pivotally mounted at 16 on the frame 53 and is provided with an expansion 11 ,for manually manipulating the lever when desired. The lever is provided with a finger 18 which projects into a notch 79 on a ratchet wheel.

59 for permitting levers E5 to be lowered for a purpose to be described. This lever has a lip 80 at its extreme outer end. A U-shaped member BI is mounted on the top of an extension 82 of the lever 15.

The shaft 36 is extended as shown at 36a and this extension passes through the frame 5d and projects beyond the outer face of the frame to receive a collar 83 to carry an arm 8A. This collar is secured to the extension 380. by a set screw 85. The arm 34 has a finger 86 which projects laterally and is received by the U-shaped member 8! on the lever 55 so that when the shaft 3-5 is rocked the arm 84 will be rocked for raising the lever iii to release the finger if?- from the notch 19 of the ratchet wheel 59.

The gear wheel 58 secured to the shaft 5? drives a gear wheel 99 which in turn drives a gear 9| secured to the shaft 92. A gear 93 secured to the shaft 92 drives a gear 94 which in turn drives a shaft 95. This shaft drives a toothed wheel 96.

A disc 91 is secured to the shaft 95 and this disc is provided with a radially disposed pin 98 projecting radially from the periphery of the disc 97 and which is adapted to engage the lip 80 on the outer end of the lever 15.

The operation of my device is as follows: In this type of construction it is desired to produce signals periodically and the periods in this device are controlled by the proper positioning of the pins IS in the perforations E8 in the cylinder I5.

When the cylinder is being rotated by the clock mechanism lee the wheels 26 will ride in a pair of sections of the spiral groove if so that the carriage or plate 2!! will move along a horizontal plane in a straight line directly across the length of the cylinder i5 since the carriage is main tained in such straight line movement by the rod 23.

As the cylinder revolves under the carriage 20 the carriage is gradually shifted to the left in Figure 1, but during each complete rotation of the cylinder the finger 33 of the member til will engage the pins 19 periodically for elevating the bight portion 43 of the carriage Zil. The wheels, however, will remain in engagement with the spiral groove. The arcuate slots 2? permit the operator to raise the wheels from the tracks at the end of the day and place them in the initial position of the tracks for a new setting of signals for the next day.

When the bight portion 43 of the member ii) is elevated the shaft 36 will be rocked. The rocking of the shaft 36 will raise the free end of the arm 84 (Fig. 1) and likewise the finger 86. The raising of said finger will raise the lip at one end of the lever 15 so that said lip will release the pin 98. The raising of the lever will also raise the finger 18 from the notch E9 of the ratchet wheel 59 and as the motor 50 rotates the various gears and the arm 68 the finger 78 will ride on the rim of the wheel 59. The release of the pin 98 releases the disc 9? and a governor mounted on the outer end of the shaft 95. The notch 19 permits the finger to drop therein so that the lever may be lowered to allow the lip on the lever '15 to engage the pin $8.

When the arm 68 is revolved its free end will move over the parallel contact members 35 and '32 and close the circuit to the signal 65 and this signal will continue in operation as long as the arm 60 is engaging both of the contacts 6! and (:32. As soon as the arm, however, clears the contact 62 the circuit will be broken and the signal will be stopped.

The length or duration of the operation of the signal 65 will depend upon the positioning of the movable contact 62 with respect to the fixed contact 6|.

An increased duration. is obtained by 5 moving the contact 62 toward the left in Fig. 2. By moving said contact in the opposite direction a decrease in the period for which the signal is operated is caused.

It will be seen from this construction that a very simple and efficient mechanism is employed for controlling the periods by which the signal 65 is set in operation in combination with a mechanism for controlling the time during which the signal is maintained in operation.

The essential use of lip 86 is to release the member 91 to permit the associated gears to revolve.

The finger 18 is adapted to seat within the notch 19 and ride out of the notch automatically when the gears start to revolve for the purpose of raising the lip 89 to release the member 98.

We claim:

1. In a program clock, a cylinder provided with a spiral groove, means for rotating the cylinder, a carriage mounted on the cylinder and having a pair of wheels received by sections of the groove, means for guiding the carriage longitudinally in a straight line along the cylinder, means for periodically elevating the carriage, an electric circuit, means for closing the circuit, means for operating the closing means, and means actuated by the raising of the carriage for setting in motion the operating means for the closing means.

2. In a program clock, a cylinder providedwitha spiral groove, a carriage mounted on the cylinder and having wheels received by sections of the groove, means for maintaining the carriage in a straight line longitudinally of the cylinder, means for periodically raising the carriage, a circuit closer, operating means for the circuit closer, means for retaining the operating means inactive, and means actuated by the carriage when the carriage is raised for releasing the retaining means.

3. In a program clock, a pair of spaced contacts forming the terminals of a circuit, means for adjusting one of the contacts relative to the other, a hand movable over the spaced contacts for bridging the contacts and for closing the circuit, means for rotating the hand, means for retaining the rotating means against operation, and means periodically operated for releasing the retaining means.

4. In a program clock, a pair of parallel elongated contact members forming the terminals of an electric circuit, one of said contact members being fixed in position, the other contact member being slidably mounted, means for moving the end of the slidable contact member toward and away from one end of the fixed contact member, a hand movable over on the contact members for closing the circuit, means for rotating the hand, means for retaining the rotating means against operation, and means actuated periodically for releasing the retaining means.

5. In a program clock, a pair of spaced contacts forming the terminals of an electric circuit, a rotatable means engageable with the contacts for closing the circuit, means for rotating the last mentioned means, a governor operated by the rotating means, a pivoted lever having means for retaining both the governor and the rotating means against actuation, means operated periodically for actuating the lever to release the governor and the rotating means.

6. In a program clock having a cylinder provided with a spiral groove, a wheeled carriage engaging the groove, means for maintaining the carriage along a straight line longitudinally of the cylinder, means for periodically raising the carriage, a U-shaped member having its bight portion connected with the carriage and adapted to be oscillated when the carriage is elevated, a rock shaft rigidly connected with the U-shaped member, a switch for making and breaking an electric circuit, operating means for the switch, and means connected with the shaft for setting the operating means in motion.

CHARLES J. MAXWELL. HARFORD T. JACKSON. 

